The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.
Bone screws and bone plates are used to fix bone fragments when repairing complex fractures. Typically, when inserting a bone screw into a bone, a hole is drilled into a bone at a desired depth and a bone screw is inserted into the hole. To determine if the desired depth has been reached, a surgeon either uses tactile feedback while drilling into the bone or uses a depth gauge after drilling into the bone. Using tactile feedback while drilling into the bone can be inaccurate due to variations in bone density. Using a depth gauge after drilling into the bone can be inaccurate since the drill depth is not determined until after the hole has been drilled.
Thus, there is need for procedures and depth gauges that enable estimating screw trajectories, such as a screw-hole depth or a screw length, prior to forming a hole in a bone. In addition, there is a need for procedures and depth gauges that minimize the amount of fluoroscopy necessary for bone screw insertions, thereby reducing the time and costs required for bone screw insertions.